Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-05
KENNA INTERVIEWED.
PROBABLE INTERPRETATION OF THE IN
TER-STATE COMMERCE. LAW.
Regarding the Presidents denomination as ROregOne
CORcllSOn-Ths Senatorial Situation in West
Yuginia-Ar. CSmdsns Devotion 10
His Constituents Interests.


ends which were left in abeyanee on his
return home at the adjournment.
Your reporter met Mr. Kenna to-day,
and, finding him somewhat at leisure, in
dieSted desire to secure his views in ref
erence to number of important questions.
THE INTERSTATE LAWS.
Something is said about the construc-
tion by the Commission of the Interstate
law. Do you apprehend difficulties in that
regar5?''
Undoubtedly" replied the Senator,
there must be difficulties in the applica-
tiOn Of the law. This will grow out of the
facts already suggested, but questions in-
Vulnerable will doubtless arise which were
not IN the minds of Congress when the law
was enacted, and which will demand the
application of the system which the law
contemplates to new questions and to new
phases Of old ones. The law was eLacted,
however, in spirit of Just regulation; and
let me say Just here that the prime object
of the statute is to gulate Interstate
commerce and not to deal in detail with
freight or traffic. The long and short haul
provision does not, as so often indicated
by the newspapers, deal with rates of
freight. Itdeals only with gross amounts
and discrimination. The statute is RENE
dial, and have no doubt will be so con-
sidered by the Commission and the country.
II, in my Judgment, the railroads and the
people deal broadly with the subject,
accepting in good faith on both sides the
fair purposes OF Congress to protect the
rights of the one without doing Injustice
to the other, the law under the admins
tration OF this Commission will, within
reasonable period, assume its natural
functions, and bring the whole subject to
plane OF general understanding aud treat
ment which will promote rather than DIS
courage all interests concerned.
The President has in hand now" con-
tinued Senator Kenna, land | know with
deep concern, another very delicate duty
in the same line. refer to the appoint
ment of a commission to be constituted of
three members to investigate the Pacific
Railroad Company. Of course, ne will be
besieged by applicants, but in that as in
many other instances, while numerous
applicants will be looking for the office,
the office will be equally rs busy looking
for the man. / believe he will endeavOr to
select \ commission which, while it will
be fair, will be dihgent and SO diligent
that when its work shall have been ac-
complished, and its report submitted to
Congress and the country, it will be re-
port bearing verify on its face"
PATRONAGE.
as there much real dissatisfaction, in
your opinion, Senator, in Democratic
ranks Oh account OF the matter of patron
age?'
There is more or less, to be sure, but
when all the conditions are considered il
seems To me that there is certainly not
more than inevitable. | believe, more
over, that by the time the present Admin
istratiOn ends, and the people Of the cOun-
try understand all the details involved i'm
this subject, there will he q deep seated
conviction everywhere that the President
has acted with a sincere and honest pur-
pose to do his whole duty to the country
first, and TO do his whole duty to his party
also. To tell the truth about it,, said the
Senator, 'the question OF patronage is q
very sensitive subject, and strange rs it
may seem to you, unless you have given
the subject attention, in Indiana and Vir-
ginia. where patronage has been most lib
orally bestOwed-perhaps more 40 than in
any other states in the UniOn-the Demo-
cratic party suffered most in the last cam
paign.'
How do you regard Democratic pros
Uects for 1888, and what of Mr.. Cleveland's
repOminatiOu"
Eghty-eight is still some time ofi
and many changes may occur believe,
however, by that time there will be
scarcely any one to question the honesty,
frugality, patriotism and efficiency of Mr..
Cleyeland's administration of the Govern
ment He is the first Democratic Presi-
dent since the war. He occupies neces-
sarily, as any Democratic President under
the circumstances would, a sort OF situa-
tiOn Of experiment. mean this in polit-
ical senSe-in the eyes OF the country. IL
he should maintain himself, AZ | believe he
will, from this standpoint, his renomina-
tiOn will he political necessity to the
Democratic party; and if the standard to
which | have alluded should secure for
him q denomination By the Democracy,
that same standard will secure his re.
election by the country"
Who will be the Republican caudi-
date?''
"Oh, ask me that after the deadlock is
broken"
WEST VIRGINIA POLITICS.
We'll, now, Senator, word about West
Virginia."
There is little to say of West Virginia,
and indeed while | did not know ID at
the time, my ideas OF the situation there
were elected some weeks ago see little
to qualify what | then said. The COM
plication in our Legislature is a serious
one and | regret it. | think the gentle
men who are resisting Mr.. Camdens re-
election are grayely mistaken in much
of the sentiment and opinion regarding
him which they entertain. / have sat
beside him for four years in the
Senate, and if an act of omission of his
in the discharge of his high functions has
elected unkind criticism am not aware
of it. We have not always agreed We
have sometimes widely differed, but our
relations have been cordial, and | have
failed to discover in Mr.. Camden's actions
or motives other than a sincere, honest
purpose Ia serve his constituency and the
country faithfully and well. He ls de-
nOunced in some quarters rs a monOpolist,
but those of us who know the history of
the Interstate Commerce bill remember
the fact that the "lOng and short haul
clause, to which our people have attached
so serious and valuable importance, was
presented by another Senator in a former
Congress, and received only eleven votes. 1t
was presented in the last Congress by Mr..
Camden, and largely through his diligence
and perseverance and familiarity with the
subject il was enacted into law. Mr. Cam
den is 3 man of means, but he has large
part of his fortune invested in the railroad
running now from Wheeling to Point
Pleasant, two hundred miles along the
Ohio river, with perhaps not depot on it
half mile from that stream, with its free
competition, and tapped already in the
route by the Pennsylvania and the Balti-
more & Ohio systems, and by the X. & o.,
and prospectiyely in its early progress by
the Chesapeake & Ohio, and even other
lines. This sort of enterprise and invest
ment with these elements of competition